Happy holidays! The hard work which has been occurring to create the foundation for MMFPN was evidenced by the number of MMUF alumni who attended the first MMFPN Kick-off event held in New York City. Throughout the next year, there will be opportunities to attend MMFPN Kick-off events in various cities across the United States. Please look through the newsletter for details.

“I really appreciated that the event included ALL Mellon alumni and not just those in graduate school and/or pursuing academia. I met and reconnected with some really wonderful people who are doing fascinating work in other fields, and it was a highlight of my evening.”

I remember sitting in a classroom at Cornell, in one of my first Mellon meetings, with Professor Dorothy Mermin. Professor Mermin recounted the story of a recent graduate (and Mellon fellow) who had gone off to law school then practiced law for two years only to conclude that he hated practicing law. He was applying to PhD programs and fighting like mad to get back into academia. That cautionary tale stuck with me.

After Cornell, I taught high school English in southwest Baltimore City, Maryland. After that, I went to law school at Georgetown. I was fortunate enough to spend three years working for the law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner. It was an interesting time. I did a great deal of high level securities and antitrust work, both plaintiff and defense, I learned lots and I made some great friends. In April 2012, I left Boies to strike out on my own. I now have my own practice in Fort Lauderdale where I handle a mix of litigation, but especially cases involving investment fraud and all aspects of competition law. I have a particular interest in disputes involving non-compete agreements. Presently, I am working on a law review article about non-compete agreements among medical professionals, consolidation in the healthcare market and antitrust.

Admittedly, sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to pursue a PhD in English or history. At times, I have even contemplated getting an MFA in creative writing. But these are just daydreams. In his famous poem Exile, Donald Hall wrote, "The manufactured country is so green." And indeed it is. For now, at least, I practice law and have a pretty good time doing it.

Working at the State Department is an honor and a privilege. First, it is an honor to serve the country that has given so much to my family, to my friends, and to me. I take pride in knowing that I serve the United States of America, a country where a child from a low-income, minority community can dream big, work hard, and achieve. That is our story, and that is the story of many of my role models. Second, it is a privilege to work in the Secretary’s Office of Global Food Security. For as long as I can remember, I have dreamt of working where I could learn something new every day, but where this learning would be additive and for a higher purpose. My father always said to me: ‘Encuentra un trabajo que te gusta, y nunca tendrás que trabajar un día en tu vida’ (trans.Find a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life). Apparently, Confucius said something similar, as did Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid). I took their advice to heart. Food insecurity and malnutrition raise complex questions on the global access, availability, and uses of food. We cannot afford not to do something about these issues right now. There is so much more I must learn; there is so much more we must do. Together.